Mickey Newbury started out releasing singles of his own, with his first release being "Who's Gonna Cry " in 1964; he wrote songs for other artists.
17 Facts About Mickey Newbury
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Mickey Newbury largely disowned the album, considering its successor Looks Like Rain his true debut.
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However, they were not great sellers, in part because of their eclecticism and Mickey Newbury's growing disdain for the music business, especially in Nashville.
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Meanwhile, Mickey Newbury was having difficulty keeping his albums in print.
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Mickey Newbury was not even living in Nashville by 1975, having moved to Oregon with his wife and son.
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In 1976, Mickey Newbury signed with ABC Hickory Records and recorded Rusty Tracks, His Eye Is on the Sparrow and The Sailor.
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In 1980, Mickey Newbury was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the youngest person to receive the honor at the time.
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Mickey Newbury signed with PolyGram-Mercury and recorded After All These Years in 1981.
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Mickey Newbury was not completely inactive during this period, appearing on the Bobby Bare and Friends TV show in 1983 and participating on the Canadian program In Session with friend Larry Gatlin the same year.
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Mickey Newbury toured Australia in 1984 and sang "Sweet Memories" during a "guitar pull" as part of the TV special The Door Is Always Open hosted by Waylon Jennings.
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However, Mickey Newbury was disenchanted with the music business, especially after Wesley Rose, who controlled the publishing rights to 300 Mickey Newbury compositions, sold the Acuff-Rose publishing company to Opryland USA for $22 million in 1985.
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In 1988, Airborne Records planned a release in which Mickey Newbury demos were treated with synthesizers and other then-contemporary production effects.
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Mickey Newbury recorded the album solo with accompaniment from violinist Marie Rhines.
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In 1994, Mickey Newbury resurfaced with the live album Nights When I Am Sane.
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The final album released in Mickey Newbury's lifetime was the autobiographical A Long Road Home in 2002.
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Mickey Newbury died at age 62 on September 29,2002 in Springfield, Oregon, following a battle with emphysema.
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Mickey Newbury is responsible for getting Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark to move to Nashville and pursue careers as songwriters.